Anyone who's ever played an AOS or FPS game where you have to team up with complete strangers to win knows the feeling:
"Ah... swearing really is an essential part of life."
Especially for gamers, swearing and life are inseparable companions. If someone does something to deserve it, they should be cursed out. At least, that's how I see it.
Of course, I don't swear at decent players who follow proper manners and enjoy the game. The people I do curse at fall into these categories:
People who intentionally troll or throw the game just because they're annoyed.
People who use extreme insults or sexual harassment against other players.
People who start fights with me first.
Though to be honest, most of the time I just block them and focus on the game—too lazy to deal with it. In HOL, the higher the tier you reach, the more you start running into the same players repeatedly, so trolling or toxic behavior becomes less common.
Anyway, the point is, after playing team-based games for so long, I've built up a pretty strong immunity to this kind of drama.
Starting from StarCraft, which was popular when I was in elementary school, I've been playing online games for over 16 years now. I thought I'd seen it all and nothing could surprise me anymore.
[Global] SoSleepy: What do you mean "change my nickname"??
[Global] SoSleepy: What kind of nonsense are you suddenly spouting, lol
[Global] SoSleepy: Do you even know me? Why are you talking down to me?
And yet, against all odds, a next-level lunatic appeared. I was so pissed it actually felt thrilling. Who would've thought I'd run into a psycho like this in a relaxing RPG?
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: Oh damn...
[Global] LetsDoSeSeSe: Someone give me a 3-line summary of what's going on here
[Global] Haereun: Guild master being a guild master
[Global] Haereun: Summary complete in one line
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: Guild master headed for another forum scandal?
[Global] LetsDoSeSeSe: Seriously, how many times has this happened now?
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: Can't deny the dude's popular lol
The guild members who came to hang out quickly turned into an audience, popcorn in hand. Just as things were spiraling out of control, DrinkWater tried to mediate.
[Global] DrinkWater: Can both of you chill a bit
[Global] DrinkWater: I get why you're mad, but still
[Global] Yoo Chae: Then I'll kick him and report him for profanity too.
[Global] Yoo Chae: Even if the name's not a problem, someone with that kind of trash personality doesn't belong here, lol
[Global] DrinkWater: Oh my god, just shut up for a second;
[Global] SoSleepy: Talking about yourself? lol
[Global] SoSleepy: You're a regular on the gossip forums, huh?
The childish back-and-forth continued. There's no elegance to it, but that's what in-game arguments are like—a contest of who can be more immature and better at picking apart the other's words. Any further, and people start doxxing each other and meeting IRL.
[Global] Yoo Chae: Kick him
[Global] DrinkWater: Seriously, try making some sense…
[Global] DrinkWater: You know we badly need new members in this guild
[Global] DrinkWater: It's hard as hell to find newbies with good mechanics…
[Global] Haereun: Sleepy, are your mechanics good?
[Global] SoaeSo: He hit level 200 in under two weeks, dude's nuts T_T
[Global] Yoo Chae: Saying someone has good mechanics just 'cause they leveled fast? lol
[Global] SoSleepy: Then come at me
[Global] SoSleepy: You sure do talk a lot for someone so scared
[Global] Yoo Chae: ? hahahahahaha
Yoo Chae laughed like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but I didn't care and kept typing.
[Global] SoSleepy: You scared?
I had already enabled field PvP. In Xenoris, PvP between players was very active because the damage balance between classes was fairly well tuned.
Once you hit level 100, you're out of the beginner zone. From then on, if you've got PvP enabled, you can be attacked or attack anyone at any time.
I hovered my mouse over Yoo Chae—sure enough, my cursor changed to an attack icon. He had PvP on too. Just looking at him, I could tell he was the aggressive type.
[Global] Haereun: Lol come on, picking a PvP fight with a newbie who hasn't even hit max level is kinda…;
[Global] LetsDoSeSeSe: True, I wouldn't do it T_T
[Global] Yoo Chae: Let's go
[Global] LetsDoSeSeSe: No way, he's actually doing it…
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Yoo Chae grabbed the golden, brilliantly shining +9 chain hanging at his waist. Meanwhile, I hadn't even maxed out my level yet, let alone equipped enhanced gear. This guy seriously had no shame.
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: I always give my all, no matter who I'm facing...
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: Even if it's just a newbie who hasn't hit max level…
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: — Yoo Chae, guild master of the top-ranked guild
[Global] Haereun: Damn, that's some peak cringe-cool energy
[Global] LetsDoSeSeSe: Yeah, it's so cringey I can't even see straight lol
Judging by the weapon, Yoo Chae's class was definitely Chain Blade. Before Dark Mage came out, Chain Blade was considered one of the hardest classes to master.
"If I remember right… aside from a couple basic skills, almost all of its abilities are non-targeted."
Non-targeted. In other words, if you focus, you can dodge everything except for targeted skills. Of course, since I also have overwhelmingly more non-targeted skills, it's not like I have the advantage.
In the end, it was a battle of who had better control. Avoid their skills and land mine. Since the damage difference between me and Yuchae is massive, if I get hit once, I'll have to land five hits in return.
I stretched out the fingers on both hands with a couple of flicks, then grabbed my weapon. My opponent made the first move. I instinctively pressed the dodge skill, and my character rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack.
[All] ParkSeungjin99: Oh?
Rumble. Every time Yuchae swung her chain, lightning fell from the sky. The dodge skill also has a cooldown, so I had to wait seven seconds before I could use it again. I narrowly avoided her direct attacks and quickly cast an Ice Bolt, which has a fast cast time.
As expected, Yuchae didn't get hit even once. And Ice Bolt is a pretty fast skill. I used a dodge skill to avoid it, but she didn't even use a skill—just dodged it manually. That told me what kind of level I was dealing with.
I activated Moving Cast, a skill that allows you to use high-tier spells while moving, and started charging Ice Spear. Required time: 15 seconds.
Smash!
"…Ah."
Just as I thought, Just hold out for 15 seconds, the chain grazed my character precisely. Tsk. I clicked my tongue and quickly used the dodge skill to barely escape the follow-up attacks.
That one hit took away half my HP. I thought I could endure five hits… but at this rate, one more and it's game over.
[All] Haeren: That damage is insane…
[All] ParkSeungjin99: I mean, part of it's the endgame gear, but also 'Jolly' is a mage so the damage hits harder, I think?
The spectators had already decided I'd lost. I twisted my lips into a crooked smile.
If I were going to lose that easily, I wouldn't have challenged in the first place. I raised my concentration, dodging the relentless attacks one after another while keeping an eye on the Ice Spear charging gauge.
95%, 96%, 97%...
Just a little more.
98%, 99%...
100%. The gauge filled completely with blue. I used my dodge skill one last time to roll across the ground, then fired the Ice Spear without hesitation.
[All] SoeSoe: sss
Ice Spear is a targeted skill—there's no dodging it. Yuchae's character, who had been swinging her chain excitedly, was suddenly wrapped in ice and froze stiff. It doesn't deal much damage, but it's the only skill that immobilizes the enemy for five seconds.
"Five seconds is enough."
As soon as I confirmed she was caught, I repeatedly tapped the Fireball skill to start charging.
It's my highest-ranked, most powerful skill. The major downside is that you can't move while charging it, but there's no problem since she's frozen with Ice Spear.
Fireball takes 5.3 seconds to charge. Ice Spear lasts 5 seconds. Even with a 0.3-second gap, the blast radius is large enough that she can't dodge it.
I've won. I fired the Fireball just as Yuchae broke free from the freeze, confident of my victory. Even if that one hit didn't kill her, she'd be left with barely any health, so I could just follow up with a fast-casting skill…
"…!"
Just in case, I had been preparing to cast a lower-tier skill, when I saw a chain flying toward my character.
Damn. I instinctively pressed the dodge skill in a panic, but there were still two seconds left on the cooldown—it didn't activate. Boom! At the same time the Fireball landed with a massive roar, the chain pierced through my character's heart.
[All] Haeren: WTF what was that????
[All] Sesesehajago: What just happened??
Opposite my fallen character, Yuchae stood, barely alive with 10% HP remaining.
"…Hah."
Staring at the screen now cloaked in shades of gray, I let out a sigh and rubbed the corner of my eye.
I let my guard down. I didn't think they'd keep attacking in that situation. I should have expected it.
"Have I turned into an idiot after taking nearly four months off this game…?"
The match left me with a lot of regrets. Seriously, if I had just hit level 210, the outcome would've been completely different.
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: Is SleepyGuy seriously a newbie?
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: I'm fkn shook rn;
[Global] DrinkWater: Honestly thought you'd just get steamrolled
[Global] Haerun: Same here tbh ㄷㄷ
DrinkWater had used a resurrection item on me. Yu Chae, who had been quietly chugging potions and healing up, finally said something.
[Global] Yu Chae: ngl, not bad
[Global] ParkSeungjin99: I mean, just dodging the guild leader's skill without a mobility skill is insane lol
[Global] Haerun: I've been playing since beta and even I can't dodge that
[Global] Sesesehajago: That sounds like a you problem
[Global] Soeso: Still got that HiORe skill, huh lol
[Global] Haerun: You play HiORe too?
[Global] SleepyGuy: I quit
I replied lazily, not really in the mood, and chugged another potion.
I lost the fight, so I guess I should leave the guild. Staying in this kind of situation would just be awkward.
Thought I'd found a good guild, but turns out I stepped in crap. This is all Kim Daeseok's fault.
[Global] DrinkWater: Yeah, GM rank
[Global] DrinkWater: Every season
[Global] Yu Chae: GM?
Yu Chae, who hadn't seemed interested in the chat until now, suddenly jumped in.
[Global] Yu Chae: You mean Grandmaster in HiORe?
[Global] Yu Chae:Heroes of Legend?
[Global] DrinkWater: ?
[Global] Yu Chae: Wait, you're a Grandmaster in HiORe?
"...?"
What the hell? Why's he suddenly acting like this?
[Global] SleepyGuy: Yeah
[Global] Yu Chae: What's your IGN?
[Global] Yu Chae: Is it also 'SleepyGuy' in HiORe??
Now he's even using honorifics.
Mom, I'm scared. This dude's seriously unhinged...
[Global] SleepyGuy: ??;
[Global] SleepyGuy: Why do you even wanna know that… what're you gonna do with it..